Chester, NJ - August 17, 2026 - REA’s Summer Catalog Auction closed Sunday night, led by the astonishing $1,107,000 sale of eight unopened packs of 1952 Topps baseball cards that originally cost a combined 40 cents. The “brick” of unopened packs is one of only three still known to survive from the early days of Topps and is now the highest sale of one of these extremely rare hobby relics, breaking the previous record of $852,000 set in 2023. 

This auction, which generated over $18 million in sales, was loaded with an incredible assortment of unopened material. A 1987-1988 Fleer Basketball factory-sealed unopened wax case closed at $332,100 (record for the item), while extremely rare First and Fourth Series unopened wax boxes of 1971 Topps Baseball each sold for $246,000 (records for each item). Meanwhile, a newly-discovered 1986-1987 Fleer Basketball unopened wax box featuring a Michael Jordan rookie on top of one of the packs and Jordan rookie stickers showing on the back of five different packs sold for $239,850. There were also extremely rare unopened wax boxes of 1961 and 1962 Topps Football that sold for $221,400 and $196,800, and a 1998-1999 Skybox Molten Metal Basketball Factory-Sealed Unopened Hobby Case finished at $110,700.

The auction also set numerous sports card records, led by a 1962 Topps #300 Willie Mays PSA MINT 9 that sold for $369,000 and a 1954 Topps #94 Ernie Banks Rookie PSA MINT 9 that sold for $215,250, both of which were the highest sales all-time for the respective cards in any grade. 

Ty Cobb cards had a great showing in this event, with PSA NM 7 examples of his 1914 E145 Cracker Jack #30 and his 1909-1911 T206 White Border Portrait Green Background selling for $184,500 and $153,750, respectively - both the highest sales of these iconic cards in this grade.

Other notable sales from REA’s Summer Catalog Auction included:

• 1921 E121 American Caramel (Series of 80) "Babe" Ruth PSA EX-MT 6 - Sold for $147,600 (record for the card in this grade)
• 1934 R320 Goudey #61 Lou Gehrig PSA NM-MT 8 - Sold for $147,600
• 1957-1958 Topps Basketball #77 Bill Russell Rookie PSA NM-MT 8 - Sold for $135,300
• 1934 R320 Goudey #37 Lou Gehrig PSA NM-MT 8 - Sold for $129,150
• 1959 Topps #10 Mickey Mantle SGC MINT+ 9.5 (MBA Gold Diamond - Highest Graded) - Sold for $123,000
• 1938 R323 Goudey "Heads-Up" #250 Joe DiMaggio PSA NM-MT 8 - Sold for $113,775 (record for the card in this grade)
• Newly Discovered 1922 Olsen Games Co. Babe Ruth PSA GOOD+ 2.5 - Sold for $110,700 (record for the card in this grade)
• 1952 Topps PSA-Graded Near-Complete Set (406/407) - Sold for $107,625
• Newly Discovered 1916 Holmes to Homes Bread #86 Joe Jackson PSA POOR 1 - The Only PSA-Graded Example - Sold for $101,475 (record for the card in this grade)
• 1915 E145 Cracker Jack #103 Joe Jackson SGC VG 3 - Sold for $98,400 (record for the card in this grade)

“This was one of the most energetic and exciting auctions we’ve had in a long time,” said REA President Brian Dwyer. “A record number of new bidders were engaged across all areas of the hobby, countless records were set, and the marquee 1952 Topps brick set a new standard for this incredible piece of history as it joined the seven-figure club.” 

REA’s next event will be its September Auction, which runs from September 10-20. You can register to bid through the company’s website. 

About REA

REA is one of the leading auction houses in the US specializing in sports and non-sports cards and memorabilia. Through its signature approach to collectibles, REA has established a reputation as the industry benchmark through its unparalleled and unwavering commitment to integrity, knowledge and trust. For more than 30 years, REA has brokered some of the most lucrative sales and handled some of the most coveted pieces of sports memorabilia in the hobby’s history, including the historic sales of the 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth rookie card for $7.2 million in December 2023 and the T206 Honus Wagner card for $6.6 million in August 2021, a record-setting price at the time. In July 2023, the company acquired Huggins & Scott Auctions. Last year, the company launched its Fixed Price Marketplace that currently features more than 3,200 items available in a “buy now” model. For more information, visit https://collectrea.com/ and follow REA on Instagram, TikTok, X, and Facebook. You can also contact the company and request an auction catalog by emailing [email protected]. 

Media Contact:

P.J. Kinsella

Communications Director

O: 908-226-9900

M: (973) 255-7153

[email protected]